Key Points
- Sweden stops UNRWA funding.
- Vows to increase overall humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
- UNRWA Chief urges Sweden to reconsider its decision.
STOCKHOLM: Sweden on Friday announced to stop funding to the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency but vowed to increase overall humanitarian assistance to Gaza through other channels.
Swedish aid minister, Benjamin Dousa, said that the decision was in response to the Israeli ban, as it will make channelling aid via the agency more difficult.
It is pertinent to mention that Israel’s parliament in October voted to ban UNRWA from operating within Israel and Palestinian territories. Almost the entire population of Gaza, more than two million people, depend on aid and services from the agency.
This move had faced widespread condemnation, with UNRWA warning that the new law could lead to aid supply chains “falling apart” in the coming weeks.
Israel accuses the UN aid agency of being involved in the October 7, 2023, by Hamas that triggered the 14-month-old war in Gaza.
“Large parts of UNRWA’s operations in Gaza are either going to be severely weakened or completely impossible,” Dousa told Reuters.
He added Sweden “in no way” supported Israel’s law and had repeatedly expressed its criticism. “Israel must do much more to ensure humanitarian access to Gaza,” he said.
UNRWA Chief disappointed
However, the UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini in a post on his official X account said the decision by the Government of Sweden to stop funding UNRWA in 2025 is disappointing and comes at the worst time for Palestine Refugees.
The decision is one day after the members of the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution in support of UNRWA. Sweden has been a reliable longstanding partner to UNRWA providing both political and financial support for decades.
He said this is a sad day for Palestine Refugees and the multilateral system which Sweden has spearheaded.
“It comes at a time when UNRWA is under unprecedented politically-driven attacks, including through the use of disinformation. The attacks aim at stripping the Palestinians of their refugee status,” the statement said.
He warned that defunding UNRWA now will undermine decades of Sweden’s investment in human development including by denying access to education for hundreds of thousands of girls and boys across the region.
He noted for the people of Gaza, this decision will double their suffering endured over the past 14 months.
“I hope the Government of Sweden will reconsider its decision and pursue its longstanding solidarity by investing in both a political solution and the human development of Palestine Refugees through UNRWA,” he noted.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1949. Its mandate is to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in its areas of operation until a just and lasting solution to their plight is achieved.
UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Nearly 75 years after the 1948 conflict, tens of thousands of Palestine refugees remain displaced, having lost their homes and livelihoods, and continue to require support.
The Agency supports Palestine refugees in reaching their full potential in human development through a range of quality services, including education, healthcare, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely through voluntary contributions.
